unclaimed
Britishadjective
Explanation
Unclaimed things haven't been collected or demanded, like an unclaimed sweatshirt in the lost-and-found bin at school. When you claim something, you make a formal request for it or assert that you have a right to it, the way you claim your seat at the theater or claim your bag from the baggage carousel at the airport. Bags that left at the airport or seats left empty? Those are unclaimed.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As recently as last month, the combination of these concerns, as well as high ticket prices, were being blamed for the many unbooked hotel rooms and unclaimed seats in various host cities.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
An unclaimed drone struck an electrical generator on Sunday near the Arab world's first nuclear power plant in Barakah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, triggering a fire but causing no injuries nor radiation leak.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
There remains one large piece of unclaimed territory on earth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
The unclaimed items will be held until further instructions are received from Hull City Council.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
That’s how I scored several unclaimed gel pens and a necklace that I gave Abuela for her birthday too.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
